1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary unit which is attached to an inserting section extended along a longitudinal axis so that the rotary unit is rotatable in directions around the longitudinal axis. Furthermore, it relates to an insertion device including the rotary unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-323888, an endoscope device is disclosed as an insertion device including an inserting section extended along a longitudinal axis, and a rotary unit rotatable with respect to the inserting section in directions around the longitudinal axis. The rotary unit includes a tubular unit main body portion (tubular shaped unit), a proximal-side tubular portion provided to a proximal direction side (a first axial direction side) with respect to the unit main body portion, and a distal-side tubular portion provided to a distal direction side (a second axial direction side) with respect to the unit main body portion. A proximal end (a first unit end) of the rotary unit is positioned in the proximal-side tubular portion, and a distal end (a second unit end) of the rotary unit is positioned in the distal-side tubular portion.
Furthermore, in the rotary unit, a fin portion projecting toward an outer peripheral direction is extended on an outer peripheral portion of the unit main body portion. The fin portion is wound spirally toward one (a first around-axis direction) of the directions around the longitudinal axis as the fin portion extends from the proximal direction side toward the distal direction side. In a lumen, the rotary unit rotates in one of the directions around the longitudinal axis in a state that the fin portion is in contact with a luminal paries, whereby, for example, a propelling force toward the distal direction acts on the inserting section and the rotary unit. On the other hand, the rotary unit rotates in the other (a second around-axis direction) of the directions around the longitudinal axis in the state that the fin portion is in contact with the luminal paries, whereby, for example, a propelling force toward the proximal direction acts on the inserting section and the rotary unit.